There’s never been a better time in history to be a music producer just because of the sheer amount of cool toys hitting the market on a seemingly daily basis. Synths, pedals, monitors, and breakthroughs in tech like MPE and AI mean there’s never a shortage of new things to part you from your wallet.
And maybe we’re just old school to be skeptical about a product with a laundry list of bells and whistles promising to pull it all off in a unit smaller than a 90s kid’s lunchbox. So when IK Multimedia reached out to review their latest piece of hardware, the UNO Synth PRO X, we jumped in with a jaded eye to see if it lived up to the hype.
The result?
We found a TON of awe-inspiring things and a couple of things that might make a seasoned and salty producer wary about a mid-range synth like this. So, let’s dive into our thoughts and main takeaways so you can decide if this hardware system is right for you.
Learn More About The Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Out Affiliate Partnership With Sweetwater Here
What Is The UNO Synth PRO X?
At its core, the UNO Synth PRO X features three discrete wave-morphing oscillators and classic dual-filter designs, accompanied by onboard effects, modulation tools, and 256 presets. This sonic arsenal continues to be built with features like pulse-width modulation (PWM), sync, frequency modulation (FM), and ring modulation, coupled with dual state-variable filters powered by OTA and SSI chips, offering 24 unique filter combinations. Users can utilize the three FX slots for enhanced sound shaping, which accommodate 12 studio-caliber effects and an all-analog drive circuit for varying distortion levels.
UNO Synth PRO X is a pretty flexible synth regarding its performance capabilities with its looping envelopes, two LFOs, and a 16-slot modulation matrix, allowing for intricate and evolving tonal nuances. Rhythmic possibilities are further expanded with the integrated 64-step sequencer and a 10-mode arpeggiator, complete with an onboard pattern designer. These features make the synthesizer formidable on its own and offer compatibility in various setups – be it in-studio, live, or mobile production. Connectivity is robust, featuring a USB-C port, stereo output, headphone port, 5-pin MIDI I/O, and dual CV/Gate options.
Designed for portability without compromising power, the UNO Synth PRO X is well-equipped for mobile and stationary use. Its ergonomic layout and a USB-C connector let users access its full range of sound potential wherever they go. Technical specifications highlight its para-phonic nature, with 256 user presets, three oscillators, multiple filters, effects, a 64-step sequencer, and various input and output options, making it a versatile tool for any synthesist or producer.
Now, with the more tedious technical aspects out of the way, let’s dive into our hot takes and more!
What We Loved Most About The UNO Synth PRO X
It’s Efficient
Right out of the box, one of the UNO Synth PRO X’s most shining features is how streamlined it is from top to bottom.
In terms of size and scale, it packs many features into a tiny little unit, saving you valuable studio space and real estate in your setup. As more producers are moving away from $200k Hollywood studios and more music than ever is being made in bedroom studios and small creative spaces, this factor alone is invaluable for synths at this price point. Its low profile shouldn’t go unnoticed, making it even sleeker and less space-occupying than other desktop synths like the Deepmind 12D or the Pro 1 – which are likely competitors for anyone looking for a small desktop synth to add to their arsenal.
This same efficiency carries over into the synths workflow. While it might appear a bit more complex than hyper-simple signal flows of desktop synths like the Model D, the UNO Synth PRO X can fast and efficiently create the sounds in your head or whip through sonic sculpts to create sounds you never even imaged quickly and easily. And while much of this efficiency only comes to fruition after you’ve got a handle on the menus, buttoned features, and modulation paths (and we’ll get to the downsides of this here shortly), once you’ve familiarized yourself with how this synth works its magic it all goes smoothly and seamlessly.
It’s A Fantastic Mid-Tier Synth
As more and more producers outgrow software and move to hardware to reap all the rewards of the tactility and hands-on feel of outboard instruments, a massive surge of new mid-tier synths has hit the market over the past few years that seek to meet the demand. But the majority of these synths are either half-baked emulations of iconic models that don’t bring much, other than affordability, to the table or are equally as half-baked products entirely as companies try to cash in on the producer community’s collective inability to refrain from purchasing any and every new toy on the market.
We’re all guilty of that to some degree, and if the UNO Synth PRO X were just another one of these toys, we wouldn’t be wearing a knowing smile; I as I write this and you as you read this.
No, the fact that UNO Synth PRO X manages to pack a TON of quality and pro-grade features into a small and lightweight synth; all in all, making it a fantastic mid-range unit with a lot of unique and X-Factor qualities that few other synths bring to the table. Originality, at least in our opinion, is one of the most essential qualities of a synth. It has to have its way of doing things, or else why would we not rely on the current set of synths we have in our arsenals? Well, that’s precisely what IK Multimedia pulls off, and while it likely is not the synth for EVERYONE, it is a fantastic synth with its way of doing things, which is often all a producer needs to be swayed into snagging it.
OOOH, That Drive Is Tasty
Drives, overdrives, and saturation on a hardware synth are far from new on hardware units, but what’s most important is the tonality and uniqueness of the sonics that these features bring to the synths in which they’re included. BOY HOWDY does the drive on the UNO Synth PRO X sound great!
We doubt that it’s any coincidence that the drive is placed next to the Volume knob, as the volume knob is not anything special and doesn’t play into the sound of the synth in the same way that the volume knob can affect the tone of a synth like the Korg MS 20 Mini.
Coupled with the sequencer and sweeping filter modulations, you can create some genuinely grizzled Electro-House bass lines and some truly speaker-tearing lead synths from just a couple of oscillators and the abovementioned parameters!
It’s Sequencer And Mod Matrix Punchy Above Its Weight
It’s not very often that you find a desktop synth with as robust a sequencer and mod matrix as you do on this synth, and to be honest, it belongs on a unit three times the price as the UNO Synth PRO X.
Whether you’re creating cascading arp patterns or just resonant-and-screeching rhythmic drone patterns, so much can be accomplished just by holding a single note on this thing and stretching the potential of the matrix and sequencer to the mix.
We will keep this section shorter just cause there isn’t much else to say about how impressive this section is. It’s a feature whose potential is likely only matched by the user’s creativity, and whatever you come up with will blow whatever we cooked up in our studio, we’re sure.
It’s Plays Well With Other [DAWs]
It’s always fun to buy a piece of hardware after years of being stuck to the VST emulation of the synth; the Behringer Model D and the Arturia Mini V are perfect examples of this from my own journey. But few synths can marry the two concepts as beautifully and seamlessly as the UNO Synth PRO X, which comes with its editor software that mirrors what’s happening on the hardware with the digitally displaying VST in your DAW, allowing you to control the parameters therein further.
I know that the biggest draw to most hardware units is that you cannot draw in automation, making all your hand-affected filter sweeps and envelope tweaks feel that much more human. Listen, I get it – it’s my favorite part of using hardware, too.
But simply having the option to control automation and parameter movements with the dialed-in precision that clicking it in with a mouse brings is a great quality-of-life feature that doesn’t need to be released every time but certainly makes creating smaller effects and precise movements all the easier.
And let us not forget that it also allows you to save presets, which is a fantastic feature on a synth with so many modulation points as this one does, and it’s a feature that I’ve longed-wished my more complex synths, like the Arp 2600, had.
What We Weren’t Crazy About
It Doesn’t “FEEL” Like Its Price Tag
Many synths on the market and of compatible price ranges to the PRO X are designed with robust and heavy frames and components. Even if the sound coming out of the unit doesn’t hold water, the fact that it’s heavy makes it “feel” and “look” more expensive, even if we’re only judging a book by its cover.
Compared to even the Behringer Model D that sits next to the PRO X in my setup, the PRO X is made of plastic, and the knobs and dials feel lightweight and potentially overly malleable to some producers. This is not to be mistaken as brittle, as the PRO X feels solid and durable, albeit just a bit lightweight.
For us, these are far from dealbreakers, but it is worth mentioning as the main draw to any outboard gear is its tactility and hands-on nature, and the unit does feel lightweight.
Some Might Find It Menu-Divey
The unit’s biggest learning curve will come down to its navigation. While this isn’t anywhere close to something like the Digitakt or Syntakt in terms of menu diving, and in truth, you can probably get 75% of the sounds of this synth without having to think about menus or button sequences, it does take a bit of getting used to before you truly know this synth like the back of your hand.
There are a lot of buttons, a few features hidden behind held-button options, and a lot of power to be discovered when combining various features that aren’t exactly evident at first glance. For many producers, this journey of discovery and finding things out for yourself is the entire justification for buying a new gear. But for those looking to plug and play, you might be better off scrolling through presets on a VST.
Final Thoughts
After several weeks of tinkering, tweaking, and downright immersing ourselves into the depths of the UNO Synth PRO X, it’s clear that IK Multimedia has delivered a product that tries to balance a lot. The finesse of its design, myriad features, and compact nature all point to a bold attempt to meet modern producers where they are. On one hand, the UNO Synth PRO X embodies the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The lightweight feel might make some skeptics raise an eyebrow, but underneath that exterior lies a robust machine that challenges the conventions of what a mid-tier synth should offer. For all its potential menu-diving and the possible learning curve for beginners, there’s no denying that this synth is a powerhouse in its right, capturing a unique space in the market.
That being said, no product is without its cons. While we appreciate the portability and dynamism the UNO Synth PRO X brings to the table, there’s a slight yearning for a more tangible, weighty feel that screams premium. But as we’ve learned, the real value lies in sonic performance. For those who can look past the initial perceptions and delve into what this synth offers, there’s a world of sonic exploration waiting. In our eyes, IK Multimedia’s UNO Synth PRO X is a testament to the idea that innovation, packed with the right features, can come in any package. It’s not just about the bells and whistles; it’s about how those features enhance the music-making experience.
And on that front, the UNO Synth Pro X delivers in spades.
Learn More About The Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Out Affiliate Partnership With Sweetwater Here
Specs On The UNO Synth PRO X
- Type: Paraphonic Synthesizer
- Analog/Digital: Analog
- Pads:16 x Backlit Silicone
- Other Controllers: 23 x Knobs
- Polyphony: Mono, Paraphonic, Legato
- Presets: 256 User
- Oscillators: 3 x Discrete, Wave-morphing
- Envelope Generator: 3 x ADSR
- Filter: 2 x Analog, 24 x Modes
- Effects Types: 2 x Modulation, 5 x Delay, 3 x Reverb
- Sequencer: 64-step with 80+ Parameters
- Analog Inputs: 1 x 1/8″ TS
- Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4″ TRS
- Headphones: 1 x 1/8″ TRS
- MIDI I/O: In/Out
- Other I/O: 2 x CV/Gate In, 2 x CV/Gate Out
- USB: 1 x USB-C
- Features: 16-slot Modulation Matrix
- Software: UNO Synth PRO X Editor
- OS Requirements – Mac: macOS 10.15 (64-bit) or later
- OS Requirements – PC: Windows 8 (64-bit) or later
- Power Supply: Power Supply (included)
- Power Usage: 1.5A @ 5V (7.5W) Max
- Height: 1.96″
- Width: 13.11″
- Depth: 5.91″
- Weight: 1.76 lbs
- Manufacturer Part Number: IP-UNO-SYNTHPROX-IN
